Gravitational dynamics of planetary bodies, both in the solar system and in extrasolar systems. To develop intuition, we will begin
with classical analytic descriptions of
the N-body problem. We will then introduce modern
numerical integration techniques.
Having developed an understanding of point-mass interactions,
we will impart shapes to planetary bodies to study
tides and spin-orbit coupling. The goal is to understand the literature quantitatively.

Format: Weekly lectures, occasional problem sets, and eventually round-table discussions of the literature.

Class Requirements: (a) Make a reasonable attempt on at least 1 problem per problem set. (b) When discussing papers in class, be in a position to derive (at the order-of-magnitude level) equations and explain their physical significance. (c) Final project to write a numerical integrator.